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Hotel Description

Sunlight and privacy — these are the twin motivations behind Omm’s unique facade, a slab of light stone with rectangular sections peeled back like the pages of a book, revealing the guest room windows underneath. The white slab reflects the strong Catalan sun into the room, while blocking the view of passing pedestrians and absorbing a good deal of the street noise as well. And another white slab, this time lacquered aluminum, floats in the middle of the room, dividing the bathroom area from the sleeping space, but letting that precious sunshine stream over the bath and sink.

Barcelona has always been serious about architecture and design, but even here, Omm stands out. Less whimsical or hedonistic than many of the best Spanish spaces, this hotel has a pronounced minimalist streak and even, if we may indulge in a well-worn image, a touch of Zen. Maybe it’s just all the blond wood, but it’s easy to imagine waking up here and mistaking it, for a moment, for Scandinavia in the summertime.

Of course when you realize that it is nearing three o’clock, and only now are your fellow travelers making their way downstairs for lunch, it will hit you that this is unmistakably Barcelona.

Long and loose siesta-friendly hours are not the only strength of Omm's restaurant, itself called Moo; the hotel’s proprietors were restaurateurs first, and it’s obvious that Moo is no afterthought. It’s no less impressive a space than the rest of the hotel, looking out into a courtyard forest of bamboo (and, oddly, aluminum); but the menu holds its own, with some of Barcelona’s finest food served in half-portions (and wines by the glass), to encourage mixing and matching.

Facilities include a spa and health club and a rooftop indoor/outdoor pool — the deckside lounge and its plush white armchairs boast a commanding view of the town's spiny architecture. Front-facing rooms catch sunlight through the open “pages” of the facade, but the rear-facing rooms and suites are quieter, away from the street, and have their own private terraces.